Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-05-08
An Incident or thc Hattie of Flop
Celtic Magazlne.l


On account of certain crimes and
offences committed by the Esrlof CATH
ness he incurred the displeasure OF
King James the III, and az matter of
course forfeiture followed. The Lord
Lyon Ct Scotland (Sir Jams Balfour)
viote: "Tbis Earl William was for
faulted 10y King James the Third, the
FaIldom of Orkney and Lordship of
Zetlqpd heirs annexed to the Crown"
At the same tine it may he stated that
the forfeiture referred to has been
doubted by some authorities.
Judging from all the circumstances,
as well as from tradition and the CLEAN
iDgs of history, the weight of evidence
is in favor of the forfeiture. James
the Fourth, apprcheusive that he would
have to face in battle array the forces
Of England, issued his royal mandate
TO the feudal barons to assemble their
forces for the defence of Scotland. The
barons and chiefs responded, and the
Earl of Caithness, who was n
brave and gallant nobleman, col
lected about 800 of his clan,
and proceeded TO join the royal
forces in the autumn of 1913. The
S;nclairs, who were brave set of men,
were clad in green, and it has been
stated that shortly before the fatal bat
tie Of Flodden, when the Scotch King
was in much need OF men, body OF
stalwart heroes was seen approaching
the camp. The King anxiously inquired
who they were, wbereupon some one
close by replied. "They are the men of
Caithness. with the Earl of Caithness at
their head" The King once remarked,
"Well, if that he William Sinclair / will
pardon him." The Earl, on coming up,
was Immediately pardoned, the for
fixture was removed, and, as there was
neither parchment nor paper at hand.
the pardon was written on drum-head
and signed by the King. The Earl had
il cut out, and, with the view of having
his titles and lands preserved to his
family, in the event of his death in the
battle that was so soon to take place,
he placed the drum-head charter, as it
was called, in the custody Of one Of the
Clan Gum, with instructions to carry
it to the Countess of Caithness at
Grinigoe Castle.
The battle of Flodden took place
with results very disastrous to Scot
land. The Earl of Caithness took a
conspicuous part in the battle, he and
his men forming a part of the right
wing of the army, along with the Earl
of Sutherland and the laird of eight
ell under the Earl of Huntly. The
Scotch right wing defeated the
English opposed to them, AMI
drove them of the field; but
on returning found that the remain
der of the Scots army was routed, and
the King slain. The Earls of Huntly
and Sutherland fed, but the Earl of
Caithness aud the laird of eight stood
their ground. Suffice it to say that at
the end Of the battle the Earl and all
his men lay dead on the field of battle,
excepting the man intrusted with the
safe-keeping of the drum-head charter.
The drum head charter is said to be
in the charter-chest of the Earls of
Fife, but this is exceedingly doubtful.
it is believed that it remained in the
possession of the Earls of Caithness
until the deaIh in 1866 of the Earl Of
Caithness named Alexander. The then
Earl of Fife, being the son-in-law and
executor of Alexander, is reported to
have taken away the interesting docu-
ment.